1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to surgical instruments and procedures, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for making a precise surgical incision.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the medical treatment of a living being, whether human or animal, it is frequently necessary to make a precise surgical incision at a particular location, and at a particular depth, in the body. Such a precise incision may be needed for creating a working portal for arthroscopic surgery, endoscopic surgery or other surgical procedures that operate with cameras and tools on the end of a tube inserted into the body.
In another circumstance, a patient with a failed airway—where a patient is unable to oxygenate and ventilate, and the trachea is not in condition for intubation—may require a precise surgical incision for placing a breathing tube in the trachea. Such an incision is typically made in the neck of the patient's body by an emergency room medical practitioner, surgeon, or paramedic. Access to the trachea is typically gained by making an incision in the cricothyroid membrane in a procedure referred to as cricothyroidotomy, which is incision through skin and the cricothyroid membrane to secure a patient's airway for emergency relief of upper airway obstruction.
Precision is needed because an improperly located incision may result in accidental damage to vital organs, infection, misplacement of an endotracheal tube or other instrument, laceration of blood vessels, hemorrhaging, spread of diseases (e.g., AIDS and hepatitis), and the like. Safety of the operator making the incision is also a concern because the operator may be cut, which increases the operator's chance of acquiring a fatal disease such as AIDS and hepatitis.
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,115 to Lawrence discloses a sliding knife and needle assembly for creating a percutaneous incision in a living body. The device has a hollow rectangular handle, with a solid needle extending therefrom. A knife blade is located inside the hollow handle and may be extended parallel to the axis of the needle for creating an incision for arthroscopic or endoscopic surgery. This device has the disadvantage of not supporting an analysis of fluid from the location of the tip of the needle. Further disadvantages include a structure wherein the needle is not in the plane of the blade, and an absence of an indication of the depth of the blade relative to the needle.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved method and apparatus for precisely locating a point of incision in a living body, wherein the improvements help a medical practitioner locate a point of incision prior to making an incision, and the depth of the incision relative to the located point is indicated to the practitioner.